The recent arrest of an Argentine businessman, accused of financing the ELN in Colombia between 2011 and 2015, has brought the ongoing ties between criminal groups and companies into the…
An escalating conflict between the Urabeños and the ELN has held thousands of people hostage within the town of Bojayá in Colombia's department of Chocó -- a crucial spot along…
Venezuela's social conflict and violence may be even more complicated a week after the failed military uprising led by Juan Guaidó. This continued descent into state-sponsored anarchy has only favored…
The ELN has gained strength in a crucial drug trafficking region in the southern part of Colombia's Bolívar department -- confirming that they have benefited from the demobilization of rival…
A new United Nations report has revealed a scandalous increase in the number of massacres carried out in Colombia, revealing new criminal dynamics in strategic areas of the country.
Criminal groups from Colombia have become the major source of employment in Venezuelan villages across the border as they recruit victims of the Venezuelan crisis in order to expand and…
The opposition leader and president of Venezuela’s National Assembly has launched his new security plan for a potential transition government, announcing a series of proposals to restore citizen security and…
Venezuela has positioned 17 military bases along its border with Colombia in an effort to address what security officials describe as multiple attacks coming from Colombian paramilitary groups. But will…
Colombia’s southern department of Nariño is home to an extortion scheme, where two of the country’s largest criminal organizations, the ELN and the Urabeños, shake down illegal miners.
The ELN, Colombia’s last rebel army, has engaged in exponential growth over the last four years, both in Colombia and within Venezuela, and may now be described as a Colombo-Venezuelan…
In the aftermath of the closure of the Colombia-Venezuela border, criminal groups have seized control of illegal trails, known as "trochas," that have become the only transit option for citizens moving…
There is now a clear and present criminal menace and national security threat taking shape, and the Colombian government may be encouraging its growth through its policy choices.
About InSight Crime
Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted
This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…
Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention
Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…
InSight Crime on El País Podcast
This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.
InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press
This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…
Escaping Barrio 18
Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…
Stay Informed with Weekly InSight
Get fresh updates on organized crime from across the region delivered to your inbox.
SUBSCRIBE